Hsiao-Ron Cheng Illustrates the Transition Between Reality and Imagination

Sad and enchanting, these illustrations by Taiwanese artist Hsiao Ron Cheng depict upset children who appear to embody both infantile and fairy tale qualities. Hsiao Ron Cheng's portraits convey a mood of purity and fragility that surrounds the infant figure and juxtaposes that sense of vulnerability to the enchanting composition of their surrounding.

The convoluted anatomy of the figures are reminiscent of children's dolls and fairy tale creatures, creating a sense of timelessness and fantasy. The image of a young girl reading alludes to the transition between reality and imagination, as the audience's attention shifts between the lifelike depiction of imaginary elements.

Hsiao Ron Cheng conveys a sense of tragic escapism. These figures allude to that awkward transition when imagination must give way to reality and people can no longer retire to the realm of their personal fantasies.